''Mira, Royal Detective'' is an American CGI-animated mystery
children's television series
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television show, television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during ...
produced by
Wild Canary Animation
Wild Canary Animation is an American animation studio located in Burbank, California.
It was founded in 2008 by industry veterans Richard Marlis and Carmen Italia, and is responsible for producing the Disney Junior animated series ''Miles from T ...
, which is inspired by
Indian culture
Indian culture is the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term al ...
and customs. The show's protagonist, Mira, is the first South Asian protagonist in a
Disney Junior
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
show.
It debuted on
Disney Junior
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
channel and programming block in United States on March 20, 2020, and in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on March 22.
On December 12, 2019, the show was renewed for a second season prior to the first season's debut. The second season premiered April 5, 2021 on
Disney Junior
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
and
DisneyNOW
DisneyNow (stylized as DisneyNOW) is an online TV Everywhere app and website/URL for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD. It launched on September 29, 2017, replacing the individual "Watch" apps that originally launched for these networ ...
. The series finale aired on June 20, 2022.
Plot
Set in a fictional kingdom called Jalpur which resembles a late 19th century
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the series follows the brave and resourceful girl Mira, a
commoner who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen and travels throughout her kingdom to help royals and commoners alike.
Joining Mira are her two
mongoose
A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...
sidekicks Mikku and Chikku.
Characters
Main
* Mira (voiced by Leela Ladnier
) is the titular protagonist who was appointed by Queen Shanti to be a royal detective in Jalpur after solving a mystery that involved saving the kingdom's young prince.
The royal detective before her was a man named "Gupta" as revealed in the episode "The Mystery of the Secret Room" but it is not known why he stopped being the royal detective or what happened to him, while Queen Shanti, in other episodes, refers to the fact there have been royal detectives in the past.
* Mikku (voiced by
Kal Penn
Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977), known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. As an actor, he is known for his role portrayin ...
) is a mongoose who helps Mira on her cases. Chikku is his brother.
* Chikku (voiced by
Utkarsh Ambudkar
Utkarsh Ambudkar ( ; born December 8, 1983), also known by his stage name UTK the INC, is an American actor, rapper, and singer. He is known for his film roles including '' Pitch Perfect'' (2012), ''Game Over, Man!'' (2018), ''Blindspotting'' (20 ...
) is another mongoose who helps Mira and is the brother of a fellow mongoose, Mikku.
Recurring
* Queen Shanti (voiced by
Freida Pinto
Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October 1984) is an Indian actress who has appeared mainly in American and British films. Born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she resolved at a young age to become an actress. As a student at St. Xavier's Coll ...
) is the Queen of Jalpur and considers Mira, who she chose to be the royal detective, to be like a daughter. Prince Neel and Veer are her sons.
* Prince Neel (voiced by Kamran Lucas
) is a friend of Mira, others in Jalpur, Prince Veer's younger brother, and is a brilliant, talented inventor. He often flies around the city in his "flycycle," a machine that allows someone to fly by pedalling into the air. He also seems to have a little crush on Mira.
* Prince Veer (voiced by
Karan Brar
Karan Brar (born January 18, 1999) is an American actor. He portrayed Chirag Gupta in the '' Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film franchise and Ravi Ross on the Disney Channel Original Series '' Jessie'' and its subsequent spin-off '' Bunk'd''.
Early ...
) is a friend of Mira, Prince Neel's older brother, and the
aspiring King of Jalpur.
* Priya (voiced by Roshni Edwards
) is Mira's cousin, is very creative and aware of fashion, allowing her to make her own clothes.
* Pinky (voiced by
Hannah Simone
Hannah Simone (born 3 August 1980) is a British-Canadian actress, television host, and former VJ and fashion model. She is known for portraying Cece on the Fox sitcom ''New Girl''.
Early life
Simone was born in London to an Indian father an ...
) is a commoner and friend of Mira who has a pet goat named Pari. Mira calls her a "goat expert." In one episode, she sings a song about what it would be like to be a goat. Pinky also helps trains ponies for polo matches.
* Sahil (voiced by
Aasif Mandvi
Aasif Hakim Mandviwala (born March 5, 1966), known professionally as Aasif Mandvi (, ), is a British-American actor, comedian and author. He was a correspondent on ''The Daily Show'' from 2006 to 2017. Mandvi's other television work includes the ...
) is Mira's widowed father who often calls her "beti" when talking with her. His wife died some time before the series.
* Sanjeev Joshi (voiced by
Danny Pudi
Daniel Mark Pudi (born March 10, 1979) is an American actor. His roles include Abed Nadir on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he received three nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor i ...
) is a music teacher and owner of a music shop in the city. He has a goat named Bhavna.
* Meena (voiced by
Aparna Nancherla
Aparna Nancherla (born August 22, 1982) is an American comedian and actress of Indian descent. She has appeared on '' Inside Amy Schumer'' and has written for ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' and '' Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell''. Nancherla ...
) is a cousin of Mira and always wants to have good outfits. She is also, apparently, very good at archery, is Priya's older sister, and has a peacock named Koo. As such, she is Mira's cousin, like Priya.
* Dhruv Sharma (voiced by Julian Zane
) is a friend of Mira and he has a goat named Bhanu.
* Ranjeet and Manjeet (voiced by
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Navin Pancholy (, born January 18, 1974) is an American actor and author who is best known for his roles as Jonathan on '' 30 Rock'', Baljeet Tjinder in ''Phineas and Ferb'', Neal in the first season of ''Whitney'', and as a character nam ...
and
Karan Soni
Karan Soni (born January 8, 1989) is an Indian-American actor and comedian. Often appearing in comedic roles, he came to prominence for playing Dopinder in the films ''Deadpool'' (2016) and its sequel ''Deadpool 2'' (2018).
Born in New Delhi, ...
respectively
) are two brothers who live in the city and work at a bicycle shop.
* Kamala (voiced by
Avantika Vandanapu
Avantika Vandanapu (born 25 January 2005), sometimes credited simply as Avantika, is an American actress and dancer. She has worked in several Indian films, predominantly in Telugu language, in addition to commercials. In 2021, she starred i ...
) is a young girl who is a friend of Mira and works in a chai shop in town. Her younger sister's name is Dimple.
* Dimple (voiced by Audyssie James) is a young girl who is Mira's friend, and Kamala's younger sister. She calls Mikku and Chikku "gooses."
* Manish (voiced by
Parvesh Cheena
Parvesh Singh Cheena (born July 22, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Gupta in the TV series ''Outsourced'' and as Sunil Odhav on ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''. He also voices Bodhi in ''T.O.T.S.''
Early life
Cheena was ...
) and Poonam (voiced by
Sonal Shah) are two bandits in Jalpur. They often try and steal items for their own benefit, usually wearing disguises while doing so, but are always foiled by Mira and her friends. Cheena called the bandits "misunderstood," saying that Manish usually wants to just get snacks and food, with
robbery as a "means to an end," while Shah said that Poonam has a life goal to "be in control."
* Deputy Oosha is a female cow who is a police officer in Jalpur.
* Chotu (voiced by Allagio James) is Priya and Meena’s younger brother and Mira's little cousin.
* Detective Gupta (voiced by
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba (pronounced ; born December 20, 1963) is a Pakistani actor. Theba is best known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show '' Glee''.
Early life
Theba was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He belongs to the Theba clan, a Guja ...
), a famous detective that sometimes helps Mira solve her cases.
Other
* Palace Tailor (voiced by
Sarayu Blue
Sarayu Rao (born March 7, 1975), also known as Sarayu R. Blue, is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Angela on the Fox sitcom '' Sons of Tucson'', as well as Dr. Sydney Napur on David E. Kelley's ''Monday Mo ...
) is a tailor who works in the total palace.
* Great-Aunt Rupa (voiced by
Sarita Choudhury
Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury (born 18 August 1966) is a British actress, known for her role as Mina in the Mira Nair-directed feature film '' Mississippi Masala'' (1991). Choudhury has played roles in American and international films and te ...
) is Prince Neel's great-aunt.
* Auntie Pushpa (voiced by
Jameela Jamil) is the aunt of Mira and mom of Priya, Meena, and Chotu.
* Preeti (voiced by
Saara Chaudry
Saara Chaudry (born June 7, 2004) is a Canadian actress. She is most noted for her performances in '' The Breadwinner'', for which she won an ACTRA Award for Best Voice Performance ) and Neeti (voiced by Nahanni Mitchell) are two cousins of Mikku and Chikku and are very athletic, skilled in rope gymnastics.
* Sandeep (voiced by Adi Ash) is Mira's friend.
* Princess Shivani (voiced by Shavanie Jayna) is a princess of the kingdom of Nayapuram.
* Ram Sing Ji (voiced by Huse Madhavji) is a royal guard who often helps protect the palace in Jalpur and occasionally helps Mira in her detective work.
* King of Nayapuram (voiced by Husein Madhavji) is the king of the neighboring kingdom of Nayapuram. Shivani is his daughter.
* Queen of Nayapuram (voiced by
Tiya Sircar
Tiya Sircar (born May 16, 1982) is an American actress best known for her role as "Real Eleanor"/Vicky in '' The Good Place'' (2016–2020). She also provided the voice for Sabine Wren in Disney XD's '' Star Wars Rebels'' (2014–2018), played Ro ...
) is the queen of the neighboring kingdom of Nayapuram. Shivani is her daughter.
Episodes
Production
Sascha Paladino, previously a writer for ''
Doc McStuffins
''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produced ...
'', told the ''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
'' in March 2020 that they wanted the series to "feel authentic" and that they did that by including "as many South Asian voices in the process as possible."
He hoped that the show would, for those who aren't South Asian, allow them to see "a new and interesting culture that hopefully they'll want to explore," and said that he believed that the characters are universal enough that "all kids can relate to the stories." Shagorika Ghosh Perkins of IW Group as a cultural consultant, a
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
dancer named Nakul Dev Mahajan, and other designers, musicians, writers, those working in the animation studio in India, were consulted in making the show.
The series was created for kids ages 2 to 7, with each of Mira's decisions encouraging "critical thinking and deductive reasoning in young viewers" in the view of ''
Romper
A romper suit, usually shortened to romper, is a one-piece or two-piece combination of shorts and a shirt. It is also known as a playsuit. Its generally short sleeves and pant-legs contrast with the long ones of the adult jumpsuit.
History
...
.
Paladino also stated that the show's crew was "inspired by the Indian culture on every level."
The show is developed by Becca Topol, who previously worked on ''
Elena of Avalor
''Elena of Avalor'' is an American computer-animated adventure television series that premiered on Disney Channel on July 22, 2016, and moved to Disney Junior on July 14, 2018. The series features Aimee Carrero as the voice of Elena, a Latina pri ...
'', who is also the story editor.
Perkins, the show's cultural consultant, called the show a "celebration of Indian and South Asian culture," and added that she is glad that her daughter's generation will "have a character and role model to identify with and look up to." She further said the show allows South Asian children to "see themselves on television" and that those new to the culture will be "exposed to it in a fun and accessible way."
Music
Deepak Ramapriyan, a Baltimore-born musician, whose parents are immigrants from India, is the orchestrator and music consultant for the show.
In March 2020, he told the ''
Baltimore Sun'' that when listening to the music score for the series he sometimes feels like he is dreaming and said that seeing everything about the series is "mindblowing." He also described the show, to the Sun, as a "full-on sharing Indian culture in all of its aspects," saying that viewers are now able to "see the vast and rich magic and color of India, and have it expressed in such a beautiful way," calling this a major positive. One of the voice actors, Shah, called the music catchy and easy to dance to, while Cheena, another voice actor, was happy that the music is dine in such a way that parents, and kids, can be involved and interested in it.
Apart from this, Amritha Vaz is the music composer for the series.
Paladino also said that to prepare for the show they watched a lot of
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
films which have
huge musical numbers, so they decided to depict that in the animation with dancing by lots of characters while using "authentic Indian music and instruments."
Nakul Dev Mahajan, a Bollywood choreographer, who worked on the show, said he gets the script and music, talks with the writers and crew of the show, choreographs the piece, videotapes himself and assistants, then send those videos to the team, with the artists animating the movements of his body and that of his assistants. He was also appreciative that the team working on the show, with many interested in
Bollywood dancing, and said that the show celebrates styles of Indian dance from various regions across the country.
Visual art
The art director for the series, Dorothea Gerassimova, says that she was inspired and energized to convey the beautiful patterns, culture, and art in India, calling it a "fantastic opportunity to create this wonderful, stylized world."
She also noted that the show was able to weave in inspiration from "Indian architecture, art, colors, fabrics and patterns" along with detailed
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
and
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
from India.
Voice acting
Ladnier, when interviewed by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
, called the show a "pretty good start to a career" and said that the show is a reminder of "how beautiful" Indian culture is.
Additionally, Kal Penn expressed his excitement over the show, saying that the current generation is going be a group of kids "for whom this is going to be normal," without the emotional baggage of a lack of representation in the past. Frieda Pinto called the show important for Indian, South Asian, and Desi kids, while Utkarsh Ambudkar hoped that the show created the space where "young brown children can watch TV and see themselves," Karan Brar said that it was exciting to push forward more diverse content, while Maulik Pancholy hoped that the show will encourage children to celebrate and explore Indian culture.
Sonal Shah called the show special, as it has a lot of meaning behind it, and said that the show is "so awesome" while Parvesh Cheena agreed with her assessment of the show.
Shah said that her friend suggested her for the part, and Cheena said that he did "a normal audition" but that the producers offered that he be a bandit with Sonal, which he accepted. In another interview, Cheena said that playing a bandit was a lot of fun. Jameela Jamil, another voice actor, praised that the show is representing "different people from different cultures around the world." The cast of the show is "completely South Asian"
and all are from the
Indian diaspora
Overseas Indians (IAST: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are Indians who live outside of the Republic of India. According to the Government of India, ''Non-Resident Indians'' are citizens of Indi ...
as noted by Cheena.
Release
It premiered on Disney Junior in the United States on March 20, 2020, while it premiered in India on March 22.
The show had its first international debut in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on March 22. It premiered in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
on April 29. The following month, on May 24, it premiered on Disney+ Hotstar Premium. It premiered in
Disney Junior Asia
Disney Junior (formerly Playhouse Disney) was a Southeast Asian pay television preschool channel owned by The Walt Disney Company Asia-Pacific.
Aimed mainly at children between ages 2 to 7 years old, its programming consisted of original first- ...
& Hong Kong on July 3, 2020. (Also known as the final program before closing on October 1, 2021.) It premiered in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
on July 20, 2020. Later that year, it premiered in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
on October 2 with
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
dubbing, and in Spain and Poland on November 9. It premiered in United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy on
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
on April 2, 2021. It will premiere in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 2022.
From May 2 to June 20, four specials which celebrate music and dancing from
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
will be presented on
Disney Junior
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
, consisting of the third and final season of ''Mira, Royal Detective''.
Reception
Critical response
Shagorika Ghosh Perkins of ''
ColorLines
''Colorlines'' is a digital media platform that seeks to build a political home for everyday people and activists. The platform creates accessible multimedia to power its vision of a just multiracial democracy where all thrive.
History
''Colorlin ...
'' praised the diversity of the series, saying, "Bringing these experiences and stories to a new generation of children will enrich their lives, help to bridge the geographical divide and hopefully activate viewers’ imaginations, stimulate curiosity, and empower young minds to build trust, respect and friendships." Burkely Hermann of ''
I Love Libraries'' praised the series for positively portraying libraries, as shows like ''
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' is an American animated streaming television series developed by ND Stevenson and produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. Like the 1985 Filmation series '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'', of which it is ...
'', ''
Hilda
Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...
'', ''
Cleopatra in Space'', and ''Too Loud'' have done, noting specific episodes with library scenes which show the value of libraries and the organization of these institutions. He specifically highlights an episode where Mira is tasked with solving a "library-related mystery" as she peddles a
bookmobile across the city, with the characters singing a "sweet song about the importance of reading and libraries" and Mira saying that library materials should be checked out correctly so the "library can keep track of their materials," allowing them to be available to others. Emily Ashby of ''
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. '' rated the show a 4 out of 5 stars. She further noted that the sources authentically incorporates various aspects of
Indian culture
Indian culture is the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term al ...
, while stories challenge Mira and her friends to solve mysteries, and her
extended family
An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem ...
members are important part of her life, making clear that family isn't limited to her
nuclear family. Ashby also praised the lively music and the "right touch of fantasy" like
talking animals
Talking may refer to:
* Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk''
* Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion
Other uses
* "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007
* "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983
* "Talking", a son ...
and flying vehicles for its "young audience."
Some people from the
Indian-American
Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
community praised the series, calling it "incredible" and "pretty cool" to see representation of themselves on TV, praising the involvement of South Asians in the production process, and singing along with people of all ages and races singing along with the "We're on the case" song.
Accolades
See also
*''
Sally Bollywood''
*''
Johnny Bravo Goes to Bollywood
''Johnny Bravo Goes to Bollywood'' is a 2011 animated made-for-television comedy film based on the animated television series ''Johnny Bravo'' created by Van Partible. It premiered on Cartoon Network in Australia and New Zealand on November 4, ...
''
Notes
External links
*
References
{{Disney Junior
2020 American television series debuts
2022 American television series endings
2020s American animated television series
2020s American children's television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
American children's animated musical television series
American children's animated mystery television series
American computer-animated television series
American preschool education television series
Animated preschool education television series
2020s preschool education television series
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about mammals
Disney animated television series
Disney Junior original programming
Television series by Disney
Television shows set in India
English-language television shows
Cultural depictions of Indian women